I have a routine. I wake up around 6:45am. Get ready for church and go on my way. I make a coffee run every sunday morning. I go to the same place and have the same order every time. Sunday morning coffee is part of my routine. It is expected. I know what time I need to leave my house. I know, approximately, the average time it takes to get through the drive thru. I know that my order will be 4.73$ for four large coffees. Three black and one with three creams and three sugars. I leave my coffee spot and know how long it will take me to get to church. My routine is set, I trust it and it does not change. I park in the same spot every sunday. I get out of the truck carry the coffees in my left hand and my bible and journal in my right. I walk up the stairs, through the same doors. I hand out three coffees to three of the most committed and hard working people that I know. This is my routine, I trust it and it does not change.
Today there was a break in my routine. I woke up on time. Got ready on time. Got my coffee on time. Got to church on time. When I got out of the truck this morning it was raining. I carried my coffees, bible, and journal up to the church. As I was going up the stairs there was a steady stream of water coming off the rough so in haste to stay dry I hurried up the stairs. This is where it happened. As I was hurrying up the stairs I tripped. I kicked the top stair and fell flat on my face. My four coffees flew through the air. The bottoms of the cups broke open. Coffee was on me, on my bible, on my journal, and all of the white front doors of the church. Not to mention the puddle four coffees made on the porch. As I lay dazed and confused about what happen, I look up. No one saw what happened. Slightly embarrassed I walk through the front doors. Searching for paper towels I begin to clean up my mess. Sneaking through the front door with my four busted cups. Wiping off the front doors and cleaning up the puddle, I felt a little sting on my knee. I rolled up my pants leg and I noticed I had skinned my knee.
Now spilt coffee and a skinned knee does not stop the world from turning. However, I learned something today. When what we expect out of life doesn't happen, we must choose to press forward. Regardless of the bumps, bruises, and skinned knees we must press forward.
God has a great plan for our lives. A plan that is an adventure. We expect the moments of joy and glamor, but what will we do when the shimmer and shine of greatness wears off. It is very easy to look at our situations, the ones with spilt coffee and skinned knees, and decide that it is not worth it to press on. It is not worth it to endure anymore pain. However, a life of adventure with the lord is a life worth living. If we can endure the bumps and bruises and trust that God will guard the good deposit he has given us. We will make it through.
We can not assess our lives by the wounds that we take, to the spirit or the body. We have to judge our lives according to our obedience to Gods plan and our relationship with him. Our place on this earth is temporary. Our wounds are not permanent. For those who believe in Christ, our eternal resting place is at his right hand.
Grace and Peace.
